Petunia plant named ‘Lanbor’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Lanbor’, characterized by its cascading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; numerous single flowers that are light purple in color with dark purple-colored centers; good garden performance; and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Lanbor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Lanbor.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada. The objective of the breeding program is to create new disease-resistant Petunias with cascading plant habit and attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 2001 of an unnamed seedling selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unnamed seedling selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the stated cross-pollination in June, 2001 in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, on the basis of its plant habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since June, 2001, in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Lanbor have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Lanbor’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Lanbor’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Cascading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Numerous single flowers that are light purple in color with         dark purple-colored centers.     -   5. Good garden performance.     -   6. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were not as vigorous as plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the female parent selection         differed in flower coloration.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia were resistant to Powdery Mildew         whereas plants of the female parent selection were not resistant         to Powdery Mildew.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Surfinia Blue Vein, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Surfinia Blue Vein in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more uniform and not as         vigorous as plants of the cultivar Surfinia Blue Vein.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Surfina Blue Vein         differed in flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Lanbor’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Lanbor’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the spring and summer under full sun conditions with day temperatures ranging from about 16 to about 32° C. and night temperatures ranging from about 10 to about 18° C. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about eight weeks in 12.5-cm containers with three plants per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Lanbor. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Petunia×hybrida, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of Petunia×hybrida,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 17 days at 24° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 17 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 27 days at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white, close to 155D, in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially             upright, then low-trailing to cascading plant habit;             uniformly mounded plant form. Freely branching habit with             about four lateral branches and five to six secondary             lateral branches per plant.         -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio             containers and landscape applications.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 48 cm.         -   Vigor.—Vigorous; moderate to rapid growth rate.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Pubescent; viscid.             Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before             flowering; opposite after flowers develop; simple. Length:             About 5 cm. Width: About 3.1 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Broadly acute to nearly rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent; glandular; slightly rough. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and lower             surfaces: 146C. Petiole length: About 6 mm. Petiole             diameter: About 4 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: 146C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers             face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Freely flowering             habit, about ten open flowers and about 18 flower buds per             lateral branch at one time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long             flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous during this period. Plants start             flowering about four to six weeks after planting rooted             cuttings. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.8 cm. Depth: About 6 cm. Tube             length: About 3.6 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About             1.5 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color: 187A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: About five petals fused in a             single whorl, funnelform. Length from throat: About 2.6 cm.             Width: About 2.8 cm. Shape: Roughly fan-shaped. Apex:             Rounded with shallow central point. Margin: Entire, very             slightly serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             satiny. Texture, throat: Smooth, velvety. Texture, tube:             Pubescent. Color: When opening, upper surface: 77C. When             opening, lower surface: 77C to 77D. Fully opened, upper             surface: 77D; color becoming closer to 75C with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: 75A. Flower throat (inside):             79A. Flower tube (outside): 79A to 79B. Venation, upper             petal surface: 79B. Venation, lower petal surface: 79D.             Venation, throat: 79A. Venation, tube: 186A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Linear, strap-like. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.8 to 5 cm. Width: About 2 mm.             Angle: About 45 to 60° from the stem. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             five. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther             color: 198C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: More             blue than 202B. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style             color: 77C to 77D. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped. Stigma color:             148A. Ovary color: 144C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have been noted     to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Petunia have     not been noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common     to Petunias. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been     noted to tolerate temperatures from −2 to 40° C. and have excellent     tolerance to rain and wind. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Lanbor’, as illustrated and described. 